2nd YEAR MASTER STUDIO
To be submerged means to cover or overflow with
water; to immerse and to mix. This proposal for
the Ontario Water Centre seeks to address the
concept of submergence in three main ways.
The first is by plunging the building users into
the experience of water using formal and spatial
considerations. Floating forms, a sunken gallery,
shimmering materials, and still, clean geometry
all work to build the feeling of being submerged.
The second is to merge or mix public and private
programs so that the centre not only serves its daily
gallery functions, but also its wider community.
When the main gallery is not is use, the centre
welcomes the community as a useable venue for
presentations, social functions and more.
The last is by immersing the users in the
experience of water’s three states of matter by
coming into direct contact with it. The principle
of “play-and-learn” drives this interaction, so that
a fun, educational experience is created as users
delve into the scientific, cultural, and inspirational
values of water.
46 | SUBMERGED
SUBMERGED